I am beginning to see how these rich people manipulate reality to suit their needs. For example, he would say something like the problem is systemic and people don’t have the will to change, but he also tells me that capitalism is a game to control people. It creates incentives toward self interest, which in his mind, is good. He also sees humanity as naturally self interested. In his reality, the market is encouraging natural tendencies to surface.
Since self interest is good, capitalism cannot be the problem leading to global warming. Instead, it is the lack of human will to change. They believe, that the will to change stems from self interest, and not empathy or compassion for other humans and the environment. People's attention is being redirected toward consumption, but they will not see the disconnect, because it goes against their belief that self interest and capitalism are good.
From our discussions, I can see it so clearly now, that capitalism and the market economy are the driving forces, which are destroying the planet and enslaving people. It was there all along. The market creates incentives for people to ignore the problems, which it creates. It creates incentives for pollution, planned obsolescence, externalizing costs, stealing resources. It extends the suffering that people go through in order to create profit. It creates incentives for short term gains over long term health.
It is true that people become wrapped up in consumerism. People do not look outside the fictional reality, which they envelope themselves in. However, it is his people, the rich, who are creating that reality for the consumers. Consumers do not know anything else. They do not want to know anything else. They exist on immediate gratification. That is the reality they are presented with.
I try not to blame consumers or myself, but he is not entirely wrong. We have the ability to see through the fantasy, which is created for us to live in. We choose not to, because it’s easier. Every time we see a homeless person on the street, we redirect the issue into something that is not our problem, or they brought it on themselves. We are all responsible for that homeless person. Our lifestyles and the society we participate in put that person in that situation. In the same way, we ignore the causes of global warming as not our problem, or dismiss it as too big to deal with. We are to blame as much as the rich people who manipulate us. Everyone is responsible for global warming and society's problems. The future generations will suffer horrendously for our inaction. Our consumption is already leading to the suffering of billions of people. All the migrations and wars are a result of consumption, whether directly in taking resources for business interests or indirectly through global warming.
We are all responsible.
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